Improvement in washing-machines



W. H. NICHOLSON. Washing-Machine.

No. 200,800. Patented Feb. 26, 1878.

N. PETERS. FHOTO-LITHOGRAFHER WASHINGTON D C UNITED STATES PATENTQFFIGE.

WILLIAM H. NICHOLSON, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF ANDJOSEPH M. STEPHENS.

IMPROVEMENT IN WASHING-MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 200,800, dated February26, 1878; application filed l September 22, 1877.

' To all whom it may concern:

Be it known thatI, WILLIAM H. NIcHoL- soN, of Cincinnati, Hamiltoncounty, State of Ohio, have invented an Improvement in'Washing-Machines, of which the followingis a specification My inventionconsists in certain new and improved constructions of the various partsof the washing-machine, as will be hereinafter explained, by whichbetter results in washing are attained, and greater convenience in themanipulation of the clothes is afforded than heretofore.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of mymachine. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the same.

A is the tub, supported on legs a, and having journaled across it theshaft B. To this shaft, inside the tub, by means of side arms, as shown,is securely attached a rubber, O. This is operated by the handle orcrank-arm D, and it is intended, in the operation of my machine, to givethis rubber a vibratory motion, to rub the clothes, and also a rotarymotion, to permit the clothes to turn over and fall to the bottom of thewash-board in a new position, the latter operation being effected inconsequence of the peculiar configuration and position of thewash-board.

E is the wash-board. It has, as shown, both a concave surface, 6, and aconvex surface, 6, and is located so that the convex surface is at thetop of the tub.

In operation, the clothes may be keptin the concave and rubbed as longas desired; or they may, as they are rubbed, be gradually fed up towardthe convex part, the feeding being accomplished by causing the rubber toswing past the lower end'of the wash-board before the return stroke. Inaddition to this operation, the turning over ofthe clothes isaccomplished automatically by giving the rubber a rotary motion, as theclothes are thereby carried up onto the convex part, whose presenceprevents them from falling over the upper edge of the wash-board, andwhose shape causesthe clothes to roll over and fall to the bottom of thewash-board, ready for the return sweep of the rubber.

The wash-board, which may be faced with zinc in any preferred way, issecured to two side stiffening-pieces, which, at the bottom 6", arerabbeted, to receive anti-friction rollers I, which are journaled in theblock J, which slides in ways a in the sides of the tub, and rests upona spiral spring, K. This secures to the lower end of the wash-boardaverticallyyielding support, and a horizontal movement on the rollers I.

The upper end of the wash-board is also adapted for backward and forwardmovement by the following device: On each side of the tub a lever, F, ispivoted at f, whose upper end has a swiveling connection with the top ofthe wash-board at f. At j spnings G are attached, whose hooked outerends engage over the notches h of the brackets H. The angularity of thebracket and the series of notches therein gives the means for increasingor diminishing the tension of the spring, and in this way the machinemay be adapted for washing thick or thin fabrics.

The projecting cross-ribs of the rubber O are made in sets or groups,there being a series of prominent ribs, 0, and between each pair ofthese a number of ribs, 0, of less projection. This configuration givesbetter results in washing than any heretofore attained.

I claim .i

1. Awashing-machine having a journaled rubber, adapted for bothvibratory and rotary motion, and a localized washboard, whose facepresents both a concave and convex surface, substantially as and for thepurpose specifled.

2. The combination, substantially as specified, of the vibratoryrubber,- the wash-board, the vertically-yielding spring-frame supportingthe lower forward end of the wash-board, and the pivoted vibratoryspring-levers, to the upper arms of which the top of the wash-board ,ispivoted.

3. In combination with the levers F and springs G of the wash-board E,the notched inclined brackets H h,- substantially as and for the purposespecified.

In testimony of which invention I hereunto set my hand.

WILLIAM H. NICHOLSON.

Witnesses:

J orrn E. J ONES, L. FRENCH.

